Bedford, NS.  In April, Bauld Insurance with the support of Aviva Canada ran a contest to give something back to Nova Scotia businesses in need of a little extra financial support.

About the Campaign.

The Nova Scotia Business Stimulus Giveaway was available to any registered Nova Scotia business. From April 6 – 30, some 140 businesses located throughout the province entered the contest.  After conducting the random prize winner draw and contacting the winners, Bauld Insurance can now announce the prize winners:

• Grand Prize ($5,000 stimulus cheque): Rockin’ Rogi Diner, Middleton
• Runner-Up ($2,500 stimulus cheque): Highlander Strength and Fitness, New Minas
• Runner-Up ($2,500 stimulus cheque): The Twisted Barber, Bridgewater

The campaign came to life when Bauld Insurance and Aviva Canada agreed to work together and give something back to our business communities. “We all know it has been a difficult year for many businesses. At least COVID further proved one thing, our local Nova Scotia businesses are simply amazing,” said Sean Murray, Vice President Business Development, Bauld Insurance. “It was a great opportunity to work with Aviva to run this campaign and to give these deserving businesses some extra money.”

Contest entrants needed to be a registered Nova Scotia business, leading to a broad range of entries from all types of industries. Through the random draw, perhaps in a twist of fate, the three winners represent some of the hardest hit sectors – a local restaurant, a local fitness gym, and a local barbershop.

Meet the Winners

Grand Prize Winner – Rockin Rogi Diner.  Zoe McCredie and her husband Will moved to the Annapolis Valley from B.C. in 2016 with a passion for local food and sustainable farming. They started making pasta & pierogi as a side hustle and quickly expanded beyond the size of their home kitchen. Early in 2020, on a shoe-string budget, they opened the Rockin’ Rogi Diner in Middleton. Then COVID hit. Like all restaurants, it has been a difficult year. In spite of this, to support their local community, they launched a Community Cups program, where patrons can donate $5 to give someone in need a cup homemade soup and bread.  “COVID sucks, it has hit our community hard, but at least you can enjoy a cup of soup and a slice of bread,” said Zoe.  Everything they make goes back into the business. When hearing about her prize, they already decided to invest that money in a new hood ventilation system.

Runner-Up Winner – Highlander Strength and Fitness. Like most fitness gyms, Isobel Hamilton and her husband have had to endure a rolling cycle of shut-downs, capacity restrictions, and more during the pandemic. “With the current lockdown, this prize couldn’t be better timed.  I think a portion of it is going to a bit of equipment that we wouldn’t normally buy, and the rest will likely go towards running costs until things shake out a little better and maybe we can put a bit towards marketing,” said Isobel.

Runner-Up Winner – The Twisted Barber. We all know, this pandemic has hit hair stylists and barbershops even harder than most.  Erica Gyldenberg operates The Twisted Barber in the town of Bridgewater and has built up quite the reputation in her local community with an impressive number of positive reviews.  “Barbershops like mine are shut down right now, so this prize money comes at a perfect time.  We’ll get through this soon I hope. Then, I have plans to expand the business and open new locations in other communities,” said Erica.

Congratulations to these worthy winners, and thank you to all those businesses that entered the contest.  Also, thanks to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce for promoting the contest to their membership.  Bauld Insurance is the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Affinity Partner for Business Insurance.  Visit the website for more program details.

About Bauld Insurance

Bauld Insurance (WCL Bauld Insurance Limited) is a leading Nova Scotia-based Insurance Brokerage specializing in a wide range of insurance solutions including home, auto, commercial, marine, and more. The company employs over 25 staff and in 2020 moved into a new office space located at 7 Peruz Court in Bedford.  The business provides insurance advice and service to approximately 8,000 personal insurance clients and over 1000 businesses primarily located in Nova Scotia, and to a smaller extent throughout the Maritimes. The business is well known for its support of local community matters and its end-to-end service and personal advice – giving its customers peace of mind knowing that all their insurance needs are well met and managed.